Claimed By the Don

Chapter 1

1

DAISY

I press ‘begin’ on the screen. It will be forty-three hours before we reach our destination but that’s if I drive straight through, which I can’t. With bathroom stops and time to sleep, it’ll be closer to four days, but I’m ready to be on my way.

Liam’s buckled into his booster seat behind me, his forehead furrowed in concentration as he colors a picture of the Paw Patrol pups on his travel tray. I rub my chest just beneath my collarbone, the warmth blooming there when I look at my son. He’s the sweetest, funniest kid, and so precious to me. I switch the sound off on my phone and take a quick picture of him to send my mom.

“I saw that,” he says, lifting one eyebrow in a way that reminds me so much of his dad that I start to feel like my skin is too tight and too hot. I smile at him.

“Can’t help it, buddy. You’re too cute. I have to capture it on film.”

“Film?”

“Okay, on my phone. You don’t know what film is, and that makes me feel about eighty years old. I’ll just drive and we’ll pretend I never said that,” I say, shifting the car into gear.

I’m pulling a rented trailer with our stuff all the way from Washington to New Jersey. Not only have I never driven with a pull-behind trailer, but I also never intended to go back to New Jersey at all.

We haven’t been there since Liam was two, over three years ago. A couple times a year, I get my mom a cheap ticket to fly out and visit us. It’s nice for her to get away from all the noise of the neighborhood.

Our duplex, the one I had to let go, is on a quiet street just a few blocks from the pre-K Liam went to. I loved it here, and I’ll miss the place where I’ve raised my son, but my mom needs me.

As if summoned by my thoughts, she calls.

“I think that boy’s grown a foot since I last saw him,” she admonishes me when I answer.

“Hi Gram!” Liam sings out from the back seat.

“Hi, baby!” she says.

“We just left, Mom,” I say, watching the mirror a little nervously as I merge with traffic.

“Don’t panic. You’ll find your way. There’s no hurry.”

“No hurry. Yeah, you’ll just fall out of your wheelchair trying to reach the icemaker or something before I get there.”

“I’m not stupid, Daisy,” she says balefully. “I’m not going to climb the refrigerator. I was in a car wreck. I didn’t get hurt trying to Cirque de Soleil in the shower.”

I chuckle, “Okay, we’ll be there as soon as we can. GPS says forty-three hours.”

“Make sure you stop when you’re tired. If you need to take longer, I’ll manage. I’d rather you be safe.”

“I know Mom. I’m not stupid either,” I say with a smile.

“Mommy says we’re gonna sleep in a hotel!” Liam pipes up from the back seat.

“That’ll be fun,” my mom replies. “Now keep your eyes on the road. I love you.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow and let you know how far we made it the first day driving. Love you,” I say and hang up.

I let Liam be the DJ for a while and listen to as much Kids Bop as I could stand. He naps for a while, and I need to pee but I’m not about to stop and wake him up.

I think about showing him the place where I grew up, taking him to the same cart where I bought ice cream, walking him to the library. I’m excited to show him all that, but dread seeps in and taints my enthusiasm. As much as I want to share my favorite places with him, I dread the chance of running into his father.

When I found out I was pregnant at nineteen, I took off and never looked back. It wasn’t exactly the kind of relationship that could end up with a white picket fence and a happily ever after. I had no desire to live behind bullet proof glass and constantly look over my shoulder.

I had a crush on Benny from the time I was about fifteen years old. He was dark and wicked looking, hair slicked back and a tattoo showing on his bicep. It’s not like I could resist a bad boy, and he was the baddest of them all. He was a bottom-rung thug, working his way up the ladder in the family business. He collected protection fees and shook down guys that owed his dad money. Unless he got out of the business—unlikely—Benny will take over the organization when his father steps down as head of the family or dies.

I fell for him and ended up pregnant and alone. There was no way I would bring a defenseless, innocent baby into that life. I ran away, and now I’m going back.

Realistically the guy isn’t going to be smoking outside the bodega on the corner anymore. We’ve both grown up and moved on. The chances I’ll run into him are pretty slim. But my sweet little boy is all long limbs and big dark eyes, lanky and beautiful like Benny. My heart squeezes at the thought.

This can’t be helped. My mom needs me, and I’m going home. Come hell or high water or an ex who’s bad news.

A fter four days, I stop at a gas station and clear out the trash from the car that we accumulated on the drive. I make my way down familiar streets until I can park in front of my mom’s little white house. Liam has his alligator under one arm and he’s ready to charge inside, excitement all over his face.

“Take it easy on Gram, okay?”

“I will,” he says.

I knock and the door is flung open. My mom backs up her wheelchair awkwardly, trying not to block the door. Liam gingerly hugs her around the shoulders and she kisses his messy dark hair.

“You’ve grown ten feet since I saw you over spring break, young man,” she says and he puffs his skinny chest out proudly. I kiss her cheek, squeeze her hand.

“I’m glad you’re here, Daisy. I wish it was better circumstances, but beggars can’t be choosers,” she tells me.

I nod, a little choked up to be back here with her. I indicate the car and leave Liam with her while I get the bags and my purse. I carry our stuff into my old room, narrow with wood paneling and a ceiling fan with a pull chain lightbulb.

I flop on the familiar saggy couch in the living room with relief. Liam sits at the table eating an apple and telling his gram how he thinks his tooth is getting wiggly. I lean back and shut my eyes.

An unexpected nap takes over while I’m listing things in my head that I need to do tomorrow. I have to get a job, some childcare while my mom heals, and find out when kindergarten registration is. It feels good to relax, to know that my mom has eyes on my son so I can let go of my vigilance just a little.